Method and apparatus for producing roofing elements



Sept. 4, 1934. M. s. DARROW METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PfiODUCING ROOFING ELEMENTS Filed 001;. 21, 1933 gay/)5 v/miss.- w i war-row Patented Sept. 4, 1934 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUC- ING ROOFING ELEMENTS Marius S. Darrow, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to I The Barber Asphalt Company, lhiladelphia,

Pa., a. corporation of West Virginia Application October 21, 1933, Serial No. 694,53'l

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making roofing elements and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for cutting strip or individual shingles from a strip a of composition roofing material as, for example,

bituminated felt.

As is well known, it has heretofore been customary in the production of shingles and strip shingles from composition roofing to'pass a strip of bituminated felt between a pair of rolls one of which is provided with a knife or knives arranged to cut the strip into shingles or strips of desired size and configuration.

The procedure and mechanism indicated are satisfactory except for the fact that edges of the shingles produced are a point of weakness due to exposure of the cut edges of the felt, which forms the base of the roofing. Such point (if-weakness has been recognized as a serious defect in cut shingles, but heretofore the principal, if not the only, remedial measures taken hasbeen to coat the edges of the shingles or of the exposed portion thereof as a whole with additional bitumen. Such additional coating while adequate to seal the cut or raw edges, involves an additional step in manufacture and increases the cost of production.

Now, in accordance with this invention, there is provided means and procedure for cutting 3 shingles and strip shingles whereby exposure of the felt at the cut edges is avoided and whereby the cut edges of the shingles will be sealed in the cutting operation. More specifically, this invention contemplates the provision in any usual form of shingle cutting machine of a heated knife or knives whereby shingles or shingle strips will be severed from a strip of bituminous roofing, as a bituminated felt, and, at the same time, the bitumen at the cut edges will be rendered relatively fluid by the heated knife and will seal the edges.

Having indicated in a general way the nature and purpose of this invention, 1 will proceed to a detailed description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a form of apparatus embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away, of a cutting roll. 5 Figure 3 is a plan view of a cutting roll.

Figure 4 is a sectional view, partly broken away, of a cutting roll embodying a modification over the structure shown in Figure 2.

In the several figures 0 indicates a strip of 4 s5 composition roofing comprising, for example, a

felt saturated and coated with bitumen, as asphalt, led from a roll b, between a pair of feed rolls 0, c, over a table d, between a pair of guide rolls e, e, and to the cutting rolls ,1, I, mounted on shafts a:. Roll f carries a transversely extending knife 9 and a circular knife 9'. Each of the knives g and g are mounted in a slot in the roll 1" between an electric heating element h and a wedge isecured within the slots by machine screws 7'. If desired the heating element It and the knife g may be insulated from the roll I by the interposition of insulating material m between the heating elements and the roll, as shown in Figure 4.

Extending within the shaft :1: of roll I are electric leads k, it connected with the heating elements associated with the knives g, g and with a source of current through the medium of collector rings Z, l.

In operation, as will now be understood, the strip of roofing a is severed into sections forming shingles by the knives g, g, as it passes between rolls 1, j, at the same time the knives, which are heated, by their associated heating elements h, to a temperature such as to render soft or relatively fluid the asphalt with which the strip is impregnated and coated, will operate to effect a sealing of the cut edges. The heated knives will to an extent in effect wipe the cut edges and thus insure their sealing. 1

Where it may be found desirable the knives g, g as they approach cutting positions may be caused to pick up asphalt from a supply, or be otherwise coated with asphalt so that as they cut the strip the cut edges will not only be sealed 90 by asphalt carried by the strip, but also by asphalt carried bythe knives and wiped onto the cut edges from and by the knives.

It will be understood that it is not intended that this invention be limited in any way by the description herein of a specific embodiment, since many and varied embodiments differing in detail from that described may be made without departing from its scope, which broadly stated inm volves the cutting of roofing elements from a strip of bituminated material with a heated cutting element. v

It will be understood that this invention is applicable to any type or style of machine for cutting out roofing elements or the like from a strip, to any type, form or shape of cutting element and to any means or medium for heating the knife as well as tomachines in which the cutting elements may be coated with or may carry bitumen supplied to it prior'to the cutting operation.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for cutting roofing elements from a strip of bituminated felt, a cutting roll, a knife carried by the cutting roll and means for heating the knife.

2. In a machine for cutting roofing elements from a strip of bituminated felt, a cutting roll, a knife carried by the cutting roll and an electric heating element associated with the knife and adapted to heat it.

3. The method of cutting roofing elements from a strip of bituminated material, which comprises feeding the strip in cutting relation with a knife to form roofing elements and simultaneously with the cutting of the strip efiecting a sealing of the cut edges of the roofing element with bitumen carried by the material by means of heat applied to the cut edges through the medium of the knife.

4. The method of cutting roofing elements from a strip of bituminated material, which comprises feeding the strip in cutting relation with a knife to form roofing elements and simultaneously with the cutting of the strip effecting a sealing of the cut edges of the roofing element Withbitumen by means of heat applied to the cut edges through the medium or the knife.

a. MARIUS S. DARROW. 

